The present specification relates to displays. More particularly, the present specification relates to head up displays (HUDs).
HUDs provide significant safety and operational benefits including precise energy management and conformal flight path. These safety and operational benefits are enjoyed by operators of air transport aircraft, military aircraft, regional aircraft and high end business jets where HUD are generally employed. These safety and operational benefits are also desirable in smaller aircraft.
Conventional HUDs are generally large, expensive and difficult to fit into smaller aircraft, such as, business and regional jets as well as general aviation airplanes. Often, conventional HUDs rely on large optical components to form adequate field of view and viewing eye box. The large optical components include lens, prisms, mirrors, etc. The volume of the packages including the optical and electronic components of the HUD are too large to fit within the constrained space in the cockpit of smaller aircraft. Further, conventional HUDs rely upon optical components and electronic components which are generally too expensive for the cost requirements of smaller aircraft. Further still, stow away and breakaway mechanisms of conventional HUDs are not adequate for the constrained space in the cockpit of smaller aircraft.
Therefore, there is a need for a compact HUD for small aircraft, such as small business jets. Further, there is a need for a compact HUD which reduces HUD stowage and break-away issues associated with a smaller cockpit. Yet further, there is a need for a HUD that allows easy ingress/egress in a space constrained environment. Yet further still, there is also a need for a lightweight, lower cost HUD optimized for smaller cockpits. Yet further, there a substrate waveguide HUD which is low cost and occupies a small volume. Still further, there is a need for lower cost, and smaller size HUD which uses less power.